Adobe CS4

Just out of curiosity, is anyone here experienced in the Adobe Creative Suite programs? Specifically Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects, and Encore?

Even more specifically: After Effects. I'm very new to it and struggling for ideas on how to produce a commercial with the software. I've got a week to finish. lol

Though, I'm not really looking for help...just wondering if anyone else knows the programs and would like to share tips and tricks.

 

I'm still running CS3 but check out this site.
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/

I don't use AE but you'll find some great info and help over there.

 

What timing. I just started my Photoshop CS4 class, last week. This program is confusing as fuck, right now. And there's so much shit to go through, just to install the demo. Adobe pisses me off, sometimes. Every click closes, or resizes a panel, and you think you closed it out.

 

See that's why I stuck with CS3.

I think CS5 should be out late next year so I see what's up then but when I tried the demo of CS4 I just didn't see enough there for me to upgrade yet.

 

I will definitely check that out, but probably not til my connection is more stable. >.<

I only said CS4 because every time the new CS comes out my school spends one of the breaks upgrading every single computer. Frankly, I still use PS 7. lol But it suits most of what I need at home, since the majority of my work is now done in 3dsMax. But when I'm at school I use whatever CS package they've installed at the time, which is now CS4.

What all programs do you use? I'm fairly well versed in 3dsMax, Premiere, and Photoshop...my Illustrator is only ok, but I can use it. My next challenge, outside of class, is to learn Dreamweaver. If I can manage that, I can snag some freelance jobs, which would help sooo much.

 

Photoshop is huge. It took me years just to get a decent grasp of the program, and frankly the only reason I'm so good with it now is because I spent a large portion of nearly every day working on various projects in the program.

If you need any help with homework, let me know! I'm fairly adept with Photoshop...I had a required Photoshop course last year (Digital Imaging, I think they called it) and the teacher literally asked me why I bothered to take it, as he was only teaching basics and I was worlds ahead of everyone...I think I was even more versed in the program than he himself was, or at least on the same level. lol But I've been using PS for about 6-7 years now, so that certainly helps.

What sort of projects are they giving you so far? If it's anything like mine, it was just learning layers and masks and cloning. The good news is once you get the hang of it, you'll find it much easier...but the bad news is that it'll probably take a bit to get used to the program. I -hated- it at first...I hated it so much because it was so hard. Now I can't have a home computer without PS on it, or else I'll go crazy. lol

 

So far, all we've done is make a tree, using the paint brush. Real basic shit. Not sure what this week's project is going to be, though. But we're gonna move at a fairly quick pace, since it's an 8 week class. We learned about layers, but I already forgot what layers even do. Gotta read the first lesson, again.

I used that thing where you isolate part of an image from the rest of the picture for editing, while the other image won't get edited, if that's specific enough. :smt036

I didn't plan on taking this class, though. Only reason I took it, (and all my other classes) is because I got dropped from my other classes(including my piano class. FUCKING HELL!!!) for not paying my fees, so got stuck with the leftover classes.

 

ok, layers:

Imagine that you have multiple pieces of paper. We'll say three. You've got them cut out into shapes, and you want to arrange them in a photo frame, but there's not enough room for them to lie side by side. So instead you overlap them, letting a little of each peek out behind the one on top.

That's layers. It's literally different layers of work, arranged however they appear in the layers palette, which is usually a little box floating in the window somewhere (it's movable, so it depends on where the last person put it as to where it is). Sometimes it's gone, though, because you can hide all of the boxes in PS, and if it is all you have to do is go to the top and click window>layers and it'll pop up again.



It should look like this, I believe, unless it's the wrong version.

8 weeks to learn PS? That's crazy. Though I guess mine was crazy, too, since ours was only 11 weeks, like all of our classes. Maybe even 10, if we had a holiday in the middle. Seriously, dude, if you need any help at all just let me know. I can talk you through it on IM or on here if you tell me specifically what the assignment is when you get em. I helped both my roommates with their photoshop classes. lol

 

Oh, ok. Those are layers. I think I read up on something else, because it didn't sound familiar.

If I need some photoshop expertise, I'll hit you up. Thanks for the offer, DH. I'm hoping I can keep up in this class. Got 3 other 8 week classes, and 2 of them are really kicking my ass.

 

I like helping. and I've been told I'm a great tutor, too!

..it doesn't hurt that Photoshop is kinda my shit. lol So, being passionate about the program helps me learn a lot of cool shit. Stick with me, kid, and I'll have you making fake celebrity nude pictures in noooo time. hahaha

 

FAKE NUDES!!!!???? I am SO down!!!!!!

First celeb victim, Olivia Munn.

 

...you know I'm bout to make that, right? Seriously, I've already found a nude picture to use. lol gimme a few, and look for a link on here.

 

YES!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my god!! Mega props, DH!!!!!! rayer:

 

http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/2419755_ewxmu/naked.jpg

It's not my best work, but here. lol

 

HOTNESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Props, DH! Geah!!!!!!! :smt038

 

lol you're welcome.

That was -so- easy to make, too. I just combined two pictures, erased out everything but her face, popped it on the body over the other face, and then adjusted the levels to make the colouring match.

<3 PS

 

I use Vegas, Flash, Fireworks, Flair and Photoshop and on the web side Dreamweaver and Robohelp.


I was looking into getting Carrara 7 Pro for my 3D needs but I use a Flash plugin from Electric Rain for simple 3D.
All of my 3D so far as been mostly text based video openings and logo type stuff. Not hardcore stuff on any level.